Fuel Efficicient Cars Pierre SD

Premium grade fuel doesn’t mean it’s aged like fine wine or any cleaner than regular or midgrade. The name is simply an easy way for fuel companies to communicate the different octane levels among its offerings. If you’ve been pumping premium into your tank for years and your vehicle doesn’t require it, you’ve been throwing your money right out the window.

How to Save Money on Fuel

How to Save Money on Fuel By Zach Bowman, DriverSide Contributing Editor Getting into the habit of saving on fuel now will mean you’ll be ready when prices start hitting the $4.00-gallon mark once again. You don’t have to buy a new, fuel-efficient car, either. No one wants to trade a fuel bill for a car payment, so take a look at our top 5 ways to save on fuel and you may just be able to pocket a little extra money at the end of the month.

1. Change Your Driving Style

While this is hands down the biggest thing you can do to save on fuel, it’s also the hardest. If you’re the kind of person who enjoys the rush of hard acceleration, typically runs 10 mph over the speed limit and brakes abruptly, we’ve got bad news: you’re hurting your vehicle’s fuel economy , and your wallet, in a big way. Depending on the kind of vehicle you drive and just how extreme you are with the throttle and brake, tempering your driving style can up your vehicle’s fuel economy by more than 5 mpg. That’s a serious bump. Scaling back the speed by just 5 mph means you’ll also see an increase in fuel economy.

2. Use the Correct Fuel Grade

Premium grade fuel doesn’t mean it’s aged like fine wine or any cleaner than regular or midgrade. The name is simply an easy way for fuel companies to communicate the different octane levels among its offerings. If you’ve been pumping premium into your tank for years and your vehicle doesn’t require it, you’ve been throwing your money right out the window. Experts say you should use the lowest octane rating you can get away with so long as your vehicle doesn’t knock. Basically, knock describes what happens when your fuel ignites before it should inside of your engine. Higher octane fuels contain special ingredients to keep the fuel from igniting under higher pressures. So, if your vehicle isn’t knocking, step down a grade. Finding the right octane for your car could put as much as an extra dollar per gallon in your pocket.

3. Lose the Weight

If your trunk is full to the brim with treasures of the past five years of your life and your backseat looks like a recycling center exploded inside, you’re spending more than you should on fuel. Simply put, the more weight an engine has to move around, the more fuel it requires. As the pounds add up inside of your vehicle, your fuel economy goes down. Keeping your interior clean and free of any unnecessary burdens will go a long way toward seeing better performance at the pump . How much better? That depends on the kind of vehicle you drive, but on average you can expect an improvement of 2-5 mpg, and that’s nothing to sneeze at.

4. Keep Up With Your Maintenance

If you think changing your oil regularly and keeping up with the rest of your engine’s maintenance doesn’t impact your f...

If you take a look at the dealer options for vehicles, they can seem pretty pricey and the question arises, can I get a better deal aftermarket? Each option holds a different answer to that question. Read on to learn how choosing the right options at the dealer can save you a bundle of money.